March 31, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS — The Ohio State University claimed the top spot in the first USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Varsity Eight Coaches Poll of the regular season, while Western Washington University and Colby College topped the Division II and Division III polls, respectively.

In Division I, Ohio State earned 10 first-place votes and moved up from its No. 9 preseason ranking to the top position. The University of California at Berkeley also made a big jump in the poll, moving from preseason No. 11 to the second spot. California received two first-place votes. Princeton University maintained its No. 3 ranking, while Michigan (two first-place votes) and Harvard (three first-place votes) ranked fourth and fifth, respectively. Seventh ranked Yale University also received three first-place votes.

Western Washington was the unanimous choice in the Division II preseason poll and kept the top spot in the first regular season poll, earning five of six first-place votes. Mercyhurst College and Humboldt State University tied for second, while fourth-ranked Florida Tech received the other first-place vote.

In the Division III poll, Colby College earned seven first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll. The United States Coast Guard Academy (three first-place votes) ranked second. Smith College, Ithaca College, and Williams College rounded out the top five.

Women’s NCAA Division I Varsity Eights

Team

(1st-Place Votes) Points

Previous Rank

1. The Ohio State University

(10) 383

9

2. University of California at Berkeley

(2) 345

11

3. Princeton University

335

3t

4. University of Michigan

(2)316

2

5. Harvard University

(3) 303

5

6. Brown University

300

1

7. Yale University

(3) 298

3t

8. University of Virginia

287

7

9. Michigan State University

244

8

10. University of Washington

224

10

11. University of Southern California

177

12

12. Washington State University

165

15

13. Boston University

147

16

14. University of Tennessee

142

13

15. Syracuse University

102

17

16. Cornell University

95

NR

17. Stanford University

88

6

18. Duke University

76

18

19. University of Texas

67

14

20. University of Notre Dame

31

NR

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: University of Wisconsin 21, University of Iowa 18, University of Minnesota 14, Oregon State University 8, University of Pennsylvania 8, Boston College 2, Clemson University 2, and University of California at Los Angeles 2.

Women’s NCAA Division II Varsity Eights

Team

(1st-Place Votes) Points

Previous Rank

1. Western Washington University

(5) 29

1

2t. Humboldt State University

14

3t

2t. Mercyhurst College

14

2

4. Florida Tech

(1) 13

3t

5. Nova Southeastern

11

NR

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Barry University 6, University of California at San Diego 3.

Women’s NCAA Division III Varsity Eights

Team

(1st-Place Votes) Points

Previous Rank

1. Colby College (7)

195

1t

2. United States Coast Guard Academy (3)

179

1t

3. Smith College

160

3

4. Ithaca College

157

5t

5. Williams College

154

4

6. University of Puget Sound

129

7

7. Trinity College

123

8

8. Vassar College

112

5t

9. Washington College

98

11

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

96

12

11. Mt. Holyoke College 91

14

12. William Smith College

87

9

13. Wellesley College

82

10

14t. Connecticut College

66

13

14t. Lewis & Clark College

66

NR

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Tufts University 37, Marietta College 32, Pacific Lutheran University 27, Willamette University 25, Rochester Institute of Technology 15, Bates College 13, and Wesleyan University 6.